How to buy a used car? Buyer's Guide

I will buy a car, i.e. ads and view offers

A wide variety and countless offers for the sale of used cars give you the freedom to choose. On the other hand, each place where they are available has its own characteristics, advantages and disadvantages.

It is nothing new that relatively easy and universal access to high speed Internet has turned the world into a global village where content is now more accessible than ever. This also applies, and perhaps even in particular, to all kinds of offers for sale, where car offers form a huge group.

So where can you find used car deals?

First of all, on special automotive advertising sites, where we can find many offers with photos and descriptions.

We can also search for used vehicles on well-known auction portals or standard classifieds sites. Their advantages and disadvantages are similar: ease of search and many offers.

Advertising on social networks is becoming more and more popular, which is convenient because almost everyone uses them today. However, searching (scrolling) is quite difficult, and the ads themselves often lack basic data such as price or contact with the seller.

If we know what kind of car we want to buy, we can visit the website of the car club of this particular brand. Cars offered by fans of the brand are usually in very good condition. On the other hand, obligatory registration in such a club and quite a bit of advertising can become an obstacle.

Leaving the digital world, it is worth visiting a car market or a used car dealership, where we can see the cars live, take a test drive and complete all the formalities on the spot.

Another place to look for used cars is in dealer networks, which we associate with new car sales. Increasingly, however, they also offer used cars, often purchased as new from this dealership. These are machines from many years ago, technically tested, sometimes with a guarantee.

In most of these places, especially on the Internet, you can also declare your desire to buy a car yourself: simply write an advertisement "BUY CAR XXX BRAND" and describe in detail what kind of vehicle you are looking for and which one. important to you and what is unacceptable. This ensures that only those who have the product we are looking for contact us.

Already at the stage of viewing ads, we can reject many of them: if the description of the ad is very concise or filled with exaggeratedly beautiful slogans, if the seller does not want to indicate the VIN number, does not give clear answers. , only one photo per ad if it's overly “chic” or unnaturally messy. We should also be concerned about a minor malfunction that we can fix (in which case the seller will fix it himself), plugs of different colors or ill-fitting elements of the body and bodywork. Be aware that abnormally low mileage may indicate a scam attempt. According to Eurotax estimates, the average annual mileage of cars in our country ranges from 10,5 to 25,8 thousand. km.

Buying a used car - what to remember?

If we decide to buy a used car, let's not deceive ourselves with “love at first sight” - we carefully inspect it and ask the seller a number of questions about the condition and operation of the car. After all, someone has already driven a car, so it doesn't have to be perfect. Let's check:

• vehicle interior,
• body,
• engine compartment,
• Required documents.

We will ask when the service was carried out (it would be nice to have confirmation, at least an invoice), when the oil, filters and timing were changed (it’s better after buying the car, but this knowledge will allow us to check how the seller cared for the car). Let's check the mileage of the car - whether it matches the information in the ad and the photos in it. It is also worth using the site https://historiapojazdu.gov.pl/, where you can find the course and history of inspections at regional service stations.

Already at this stage, it is worth checking the prices for repairing the most common malfunctions of this car (if there are replacements, then this is not bad news). Be sure to check the VIN number: it must match on the identification card, on the plate on the windshield and on body elements (usually on the side pillar, right wheel arch, front bulkhead, support frame at the right wheel). Don't forget to check the documents: does the car have a valid MOT, does it have a vehicle card and a valid MOT, and does the person selling the car to us own it.

Check the interior of the selected car

It would seem that the interior is only visual and comfort issues. However, excessive wear on some components may indicate more mileage than the odometer shows.

Check: seats, steering wheel, pedals, gear knobs, door handles, dashboard buttons.

• Horn - does it work? Otherwise, you will not receive feedback.
• Steering wheel - remember that it may have an airbag, so if something is wrong with it (color, wear, uneven elements) - this should be of concern to us.
• Windows - lower each of them to the very bottom and check if the mechanisms work. If you hear a shuffling sound, it is very likely that the motor brushes are worn out. When they are completely worn out, you will not be able to close the window.
• Heated rear window - Speaking of windows, check if the heated rear window is working - problems can arise in winter.
• Air Conditioning and Air Supply – Unpleasant odors are deterioration of the air conditioning filters or fungus. If the air is not cooled by 1°C in a few minutes, it is spoiled.

View the car from the outside

When it comes time to look at a car from the outside, it's not just about scratches and scratches on the paint. Much more work needs to be done here. We will describe it step by step below:

• The first impression is dents, scratches, differences in varnish shades. Remember that this is a used car, so it may have some signs of use - but always ask about the reasons for them. Differences in paint shade can be the result of repainting the bumper, as it was scratched, as well as, for example, a complete replacement of the door after a serious wing bend.
• Clearances - carefully check the gaps between body parts, doors, headlights and other parts - they can be a signal that the car has been damaged in an accident.
• Lacquer - using a simple gauge, it is worth checking its thickness. Why? The measurement results will show us when and to what extent the tin corrections were made. The average thickness of the factory varnish is approximately 70 microns - 100 microns (Japanese cars), 100 microns - 160 microns (European cars) if there are large deviations from these values, this may mean that the element has been varnished. This doesn't necessarily rule out the car as a potential purchase, but we need to see why these adjustments were made.
• Rust - check the sills, undercarriage, door bottoms, trunk floor and wheel arches.
• Glass - scratches and chips, as well as markings (numbers) on the glass, which will tell you if all the glasses are of the same year. If not, then one has been replaced.
• Lamps - we already wrote about irregularities and gaps with them. It's worth checking to see if they're dull or burnt.
• Tires / Tires - it is worth checking their condition, degree of wear and date of manufacture. Of course, this is one of the most exploited elements of the car, but the new kit implies additional costs that we must take into account. Unevenly worn tires are a sign that there may be a wheel alignment problem.
• Rims - since we are talking about tires, let's check the rims: are they cracked? Their exchange is already a large amount.
• Locks/door locks - does the central locking work on all doors?

It is worth stopping for a moment at the hood and look into the engine compartment and check:

• Cleanliness - when it is too clean, we can be sure that it has been specially prepared for inspection. None of us clean the engine bay. Perhaps the seller wants to hide something.
• Oil is another thing that works very well and is checked regularly, or at least it should. Too low or too high is a signal that there may be problems with oil leakage or burning. Also check the bottom of the oil filler cap - a white coating should be a big warning sign.
• Coolant - the color of rust and oil stains should immediately attract our attention, because they can portend the failure of the cylinder head gasket, and all drivers are afraid of these words.
• Belts (mostly timing belts) - it's good to replace them after buying a used car, so the check only looks at possible causes of improper wear - worn, stained, cracked?

A car from a private person or from a lot - where to buy a used car?

As we mentioned at the very beginning, there are a lot of places where you can look for used cars. Many listings come from private owners, while others come from commission or dealer networks.

When buying a car from a private person, we can count on a lower price than in a second-hand store - firstly, we can negotiate more boldly, and secondly, there are no commissions for intermediaries and second-hand shops. However, we do not have support in formal matters (insurance, various forms of financing).

When buying a used car in a second-hand store, you will more often come across imported copies. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it's worth knowing about. In terms of price, the option of buying a batch may be less profitable, since the broker's commission is added to the price. However, a used store gives you the chance to see a few or about a dozen cars in one place, and you don't have to make an appointment. Second-hand cars are usually carefully checked, documents are in order, and besides, we do not have to worry about formalities - here we can take out insurance on the spot or choose suitable financing methods (credit, leasing). The support of a used car dealer can also allow us to pay attention to a car that we hadn't thought of before.

Buying a Used Car - Finance

It is very difficult to determine the average prices for used cars. There are so many components that affect the final cost of a car that they cannot even be placed in any fork. The price is determined mainly by the brand and year of manufacture of the car. The mileage of the car is also important - the lower the mileage, the more expensive, because the car is less used. A domestic car from the first owner will be more expensive than an imported one (history unknown) from one of the owners in a row. But a car of the same brand, the same year from the first owner from Poland - may still have a different price. Why? The general visual condition of the car, its additional equipment, a recent repair or an additional set of tires also matters. If some cars are extremely fashionable and popular in a given period, they will be more expensive. Most often, when looking to buy a used car, we are looking for a 3-4 year old car that has already experienced the largest drop in value, and is still quite young and unused. Its mileage should be in the region of 50-70 thousand. km. Choosing such a family car, we must be prepared to spend from 60 to 90 thousand rubles. zloty. When choosing a cheaper smaller car, its price can vary from PLN 30 to 40. zloty. We must find an interesting specimen.

*source: www.otomoto.pl (June 2022)

Car in a consumer loan with a fixed interest rate

Although this is a used car, its prices do not always allow you to buy it for cash. Car loans can be found in the offers of many banks. The loan can also be used for obligatory payments (insurance, car registration) or the first visits to the mechanic (to remind you what to change after buying a car: oil, filters and timing).

Raiffeisen Digital Bank (brand of Raiffeisen Centrobank AG) with an annual interest rate of 11,99% offers a loan with a commission of 0% up to PLN 150. PLN with funding up to 10 years and a fixed interest rate. This loan can be used for any purpose, including buying a used car. Of course, the granting of a loan depends on a positive assessment of the client's creditworthiness and credit risk.

Źródła:

https://www.auto-swiat.pl/uzywane/za-duzy-za-maly/kd708hh

Car paint thickness - layers, values ​​and measurement

Representative example of a consumer loan: The effective annual interest rate (APR) is 11,99%, total loan amount: EUR 44, total amount payable: PLN 60 63, fixed interest rate 566% per annum, total loan value: PLN 11,38 18 (including: 966% commission (0 EUR, interest 0,0 PLN 18), 966 monthly payments of 78 PLN and the last payment of 805 PLN. assessment of the Client's creditworthiness and credit risk.

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